Bill Text: IA HR22 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution encouraging state and local governments to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and regional producers, including through Iowa’s regional food systems.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2017-04-21 - Laid over under Rule 25. H.J. 1144. [HR22 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HR22-Introduced.html
House Resolution 22 - Introduced PAG LIN HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. BY ISENHART, HAGER, LUNDGREN, BERGAN, KURTH, STAED, McCONKEY, McKEAN, and KRESSIG 1 1 A Resolution encouraging state and local governments 1 2 to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and 1 3 healthy food from local and regional producers, 1 4 including through Iowa's regional food systems. 1 5 WHEREAS, Iowa's Regional Food Systems Working Group, 1 6 comprised of 15 geographically based groups covering 1 7 91 Iowa counties, is a network established in 2003 to 1 8 support Iowans who are working together to build more 1 9 resilient food systems; and 1 10 WHEREAS, each regional group convenes multiple 1 11 stakeholders, including farm producers, food 1 12 processors, and other businesses, nonprofit 1 13 organizations, Iowa State University Extension 1 14 and Outreach, the Leopold Center for Sustainable 1 15 Agriculture, resource conservation and development 1 16 organizations, educational institutions, and other 1 17 state and local government entities to support local 1 18 and regional food system development; and 1 19 WHEREAS, in 2011 Iowa Acts, chapter 128, the General 1 20 Assembly created the Local Food and Farm Program and 1 21 the Local Food and Farm Program Fund administered by 1 22 the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, to 1 23 support the diversification of Iowa agriculture and 1 24 Iowa's economy through the development of integrated 1 25 local food systems to promote the production, sale, and 1 26 consumption of food grown in Iowa; and 1 27 WHEREAS, beginning in 2011, the General Assembly has 2 1 annually appropriated moneys to support the Local Food 2 2 and Farm Program administered under Iowa Code chapter 2 3 267A; and 2 4 WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published by 2 5 Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Iowa 2 6 farmers responding to a survey reported a more than 23 2 7 percent year=over=year increase in food sales through 2 8 direct=to=consumer transactions such as farmers' 2 9 markets and community=supported agriculture, as well 2 10 as through wholesalers and large=volume institutional 2 11 buyers such as grocery stores, restaurants, schools, 2 12 and hospitals; and 2 13 WHEREAS, according to a 2014 report published 2 14 by Iowa State University of Science and Technology, 2 15 larger=scale buyers of local foods responding to a 2 16 survey reported increased purchases in local food 2 17 sales totaling more than $22 million in 2012=2013, 2 18 with 80 percent of those annual sales made to just 37 2 19 buyers, for an average of almost $250,000 in local food 2 20 purchases per buyer per year; and 2 21 WHEREAS, according to a 2016 report published by 2 22 the Union of Concerned Scientists, if all intermediate 2 23 and institutional buyers in Iowa purchased local food 2 24 at the same level as survey respondents, more than $3 2 25 billion in new economic activity would be generated for 2 26 the state's economy, supporting 16,997 midsize farms, 2 27 and supporting 178,000 total jobs in Iowa, including 2 28 49,000 full=time farm jobs; and 2 29 WHEREAS, targeted government procurement policies 2 30 have been successfully used to spur economic growth, 3 1 increase employment, develop rural communities, foster 3 2 the creation of value chain partnerships and promote 3 3 small businesses, including businesses operated by 3 4 families, young entrepreneurs, veterans, minorities, 3 5 persons with disabilities, ex=offenders, and others 3 6 underrepresented within the private sector; and 3 7 WHEREAS, Iowa has established a successful 3 8 high=profile precedent for using a procurement policy 3 9 to promote Iowa agriculture through a commitment at all 3 10 levels of government to use bio=based fuels; and 3 11 WHEREAS, in calendar year 2015, 1,110,278 gallons 3 12 of E=10 ethanol blended gasoline and 169,951 gallons 3 13 of E=85 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by the 3 14 State Department of Transportation for use in vehicles 3 15 by departmental and local government employees; and 3 16 WHEREAS, in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, 3 17 and ending June 30, 2015, 883,281 gallons of E=10 3 18 ethanol blended gasoline and 222,294 gallons of E=85 3 19 ethanol blended gasoline were purchased by a number of 3 20 other state agencies including but not limited to the 3 21 Department of Administrative Services, the Department 3 22 of Public Safety, the Department of Corrections, and 3 23 the Department of Human Services for use in vehicles by 3 24 agency employees; and 3 25 WHEREAS, the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative 3 26 instituted by Governor Terry Branstad is dedicated to 3 27 achieving the goal of making Iowa the healthiest state 3 28 in the nation; and 3 29 WHEREAS, government procurement preferences focused 3 30 on small local food producers will have ancillary 4 1 benefits, such as increasing the availability of 4 2 fresher and healthier foods; improving nutrition 4 3 among populations vulnerable to diabetes, obesity, and 4 4 other chronic health conditions; reducing negative 4 5 impacts associated with soil erosion and water 4 6 pollution; as well as diminishing the use of energy 4 7 resources associated with damaging climate impacts; NOW 4 8 THEREFORE, 4 9 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 4 10 That the House of Representatives strongly encourages 4 11 universities under the direction of the State Board of 4 12 Regents to increase the direct purchase of nutritious 4 13 and healthy food from local and regional producers, 4 14 including through food hubs created with the support of 4 15 Iowa's expanding Local Food and Farm Program; and 4 16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 4 17 Representatives strongly encourages other state and 4 18 local government entities including the Department 4 19 of Administrative Services and agencies purchasing 4 20 through that department, the Department for the Blind, 4 21 community colleges, and the Department of Corrections 4 22 and associated institutions, as well as counties, 4 23 cities, and public schools to increase the direct 4 24 purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and 4 25 regional producers, including through food hubs created 4 26 with the support of Iowa's expanding Local Food and 4 27 Farm Program; and 4 28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 4 29 Representatives strongly encourages state and local 4 30 entities to establish procurement goals for the 5 1 purchase of healthy and nutritious food grown by 5 2 local and regional producers and to become active 5 3 participants in a regional food system working 5 4 group; and 5 5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 5 6 Representatives urges all public entities engaged in 5 7 cooperative or coordinated food purchasing to establish 5 8 procurement specifications requiring vendors to source 5 9 a designated percentage of food from local and regional 5 10 producers in order to be recognized as a qualified 5 11 bidder; and 5 12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this 5 13 Resolution be sent to the Governor, the President 5 14 of the State Board of Regents, the Director of the 5 15 Department of Administrative Services, the Director 5 16 of the Department for the Blind, the Director of 5 17 the Department of Education, the Iowa Association 5 18 of Community College Trustees, the Director of the 5 19 Department of Corrections, the Iowa State Association 5 20 of Counties, and the Iowa League of Cities. LSB 1342HH (6) 87 da/rj
